Bribri Yorkin Reserve, Caribe, Costa Rica |
The full quote:
Bribri Yorkin Reserve, Caribe, Costa Rica |
The full quote:
And most of you know that means I have trips planned for the rest of the year with other serendipities like holidays and local experiences being “extra” joys!
But for those who particularly like my trips or the birds I photograph on them, here’s my coast to coast plans for the next 4 months, leaving specific dates off for security reasons:
SEPTEMBER is my trek back to the Caribe with 4 nights in a very popular hotel I could not get in on another trip, Hotel Banana Azul, Puerto Viejo de Talamanca. It is one of the very few actually on the beach, like walk out of your cabin right onto the beach. (Most are across the highway.) I do not care for swimming in the ocean for many reasons, nor sunbathing, but absolutely love walking on the beach which I will do a lot of this trip. It is also “Adult Only,” simply meaning no children. I love kids, but they tend to dominate a resort at every point and can be quite disruptive from sleeping & meals to activities & pool. So my first time to try one of these! I’ll let you know what I think.
Plus I plan on two new reserves for birding and otherwise hiking in nature with local guides; one is a national park and one a private reserve which they claim is the best. And of course the beautiful forested grounds of the hotel and even the beach will have birds!
And I will experience a little caribbean culture & food in Puerto Viejo. See
this info page and welcome video About Puerto Viejo. There’s also links there to why visit the Caribe, difference in caribbean and pacific coasts, etc. I may come home singing reggae! 🙂 But mainly hope to relax and get more bird photos! Here’s more on Caribbean Local Activities beyond the music and food or my favorite, Caribbean Jungle, Nature & Wildlife. And the Hotel Banana Azul Photo Gallery.
It will be both similar and different from my safari tent hotel in Manzanillo last year. See that Manzanillo Trip Photo Gallery for comparison. I still don’t have a strong preference for caribbean or pacific coast yet, though I tend to favor the “underdog” or least popular which would be the Caribe. It is quieter, cheaper, more natural, smaller & locally owned hotels, and less crowded. If you like big Marriotts or Hiltons, go to the Pacific side and spend more money! I’m doing that in December but not in a big chain hotel.
NOVEMBER is in the cloud forests not far from Atenas, just outside San Ramon where I stay in my second Greentique Hotel, associated with the Aquila de Osa Hotel I was in at Drake Bay. (One of my favorite!) But this one is only an hour or so away by bus through Palmares to San Ramon where the hotel picks me up at the bus station. It is called Villa Blanca Cloud Forest Hotel & Nature Reserve.
Typical birding hike. |
Of course I already have birding treks scheduled with local guides and may get to see their cloud forest research center. Plus they have trails on their own property I can visit on my own and all three hotels have jacuzzis which I hope to use and who knows? Maybe even a relaxing back massage! I view retirement as an almost continuous vacation! 🙂 It’s great! And this one’s close to home!
Another tropical paradise where you have both a pool and the beach, plus forest for birds! And hopefully great food! 🙂 |
CHRISTMAS WEEK is when I decided to try the southern end of the Nicoya Peninsula and Guanacaste on the Pacific Coast. And my Google search showed Tambor Bay the best area of the southern peninsula for birding, according to a local birding club on the peninsula. So we will see! I have reservations at the Tambor Tropical Hotel right on the beach AND on a river with hiking trails following it inland for lots of do-it-yourself birding. Plus there are two reserves nearby that I hope to see with a guide. And this is another “Adults Only” hotel. Wow! New for me.
Not having family, I have found that Christmas is more enjoyable while on a trip and I always end up with new friends as well as new experiences! So I’m looking forward to this Christmas when I celebrate living in Costa Rica for three years! ¡Pura Vida!
View from My Beach-side Hammock (3-pix panorama) Manzanillo Beach, Costa Rica |
Looking to the Left Manzanillo Beach, Costa Rica |
Looking to the Right Manzanillo Beach, Costa Rica |
Dangerous Currents – No Swimming! Manzanillo Beach, Costa Rica Yeah! They had a sign in English too, but this one more interesting! 🙂 |
Maybe Dangerous, But Fun Waves for Many! And many swim anyway and/or try to surf – “At Your Own Risk” Manzanillo Beach, Costa Rica |
Multiple Caution Signs Protect the Hotel And are probably required by their Insurance Co. And “No Life Guards” is indicated at check-in Manzanillo Beach, Costa Rica |
Barefoot Beach Futbol (Soccer) Manzanillo Beach, Costa Rica And by the way, ALL BEACHES ARE PUBLIC in Costa Rica! There are no private or hotel only beaches. |
Local Boys – Not Tourists! Manzanillo Beach, Costa Rica |
And Someone Kayaks By Our Beach Manzanillo Beach, Costa Rica |
Sundown Mist One Evening Manzanillo Beach, Costa Rica This beach was not positioned right for the sometimes beautiful Caribbean sunrises Like this one at Tortuguero and on wrong side of country for sunsets! 🙂 |
I am not a “Beach Person” as some people call themselves, not liking to swim in the ocean at all! But I do love to visit and walk on the many beautiful beaches here. Some friends ask me to compare the Atlantic and Pacific beaches and that is difficult.
It is almost down to specific beach compared to specific beach. In general the Caribbean (or the Atlantic beaches) are less developed with more wildness and more natural things than much of the Pacific, though the Osa Peninsula or Corcovado National Park is a big exception on the Pacific side as are some other “South Pacific” beaches. In the north or Guanacaste there are a few pretty beaches but overall I think it is over-developed and I thought the famous Tamarindo Beach was ugly and overcrowded! Jaco is pretty but also overcrowded, especially on weekends as the closest beach to San Jose. South of there at Manual Antonio National Park there are two gorgeous beaches that are very crowded, both the one in the park and the one outside the park.
I still have a lot of exploring to do before I even think about ranking beaches. Then there is the important reason or purpose! Are you a surfer, swimmer, sunbather, fisher, or photographer? Each beach is different for each purpose. And there are a lot of choices! If you believe travel articles, here is one on “The Best Beaches” by “Costa Rica Experts.” You will not find Manzanillo listed though it is one the nicer ones I have visited and least crowded! Then here’s an article on “Costa Rica’s 6 Most Stunning Beaches” by TicoTimes, the online English language Gringo newspaper. And travel sites like TripAdvisor rank the ones that hotels and resorts pay them to rank best, so don’t believe everything commercial sites say. For example Tamarindo is promoted as one of the best, but after my visit there, it is one of my least favorite, remembering that I do not like crowds, commercialism and a lack of nature. So maybe that is why I favor the Caribbean beaches more than most people.
See also my VISTA GALLERIES for Caribbean Beaches and Pacific Beaches
Today I take my laptop in to have everything transferred to my new computer which will be at least two days, assuming the new one arrives today. So just one shot from Manzanillo:
Emerald Basilisk, Manzanillo, Costa Rica |
Hopefully you will receive the other photos from Manzanillo by Thursday or Friday.